[Public-list] replacing spreaders

[Robert Kirk]

Jock... Why do you recommend Spruce? I know it's light (they used to make 
airplanes out of it)  but not nearly  as strong or rot resistant as oak.

I haven't had my mast down in a couple of years but the oak spreaders 
looked to be in good shape then. Original? I just put white enamel on top 
and varnish on the bottom. I did feel a little guilty not replacing them 
after all these years but they looked too good. Since then, Phil Beigel 
told me that the wooden spreaders tend to start rotting inside the mast 
brackets where you can't see it, so maybe I do need to build new ones, 
after all. They are easy enough to make. Maybe next year :-)

Does Spruce (Sitka?) have some other advantage?... Bob

Bob Kirk
Isobar #181


At 02:54 PM 4/26/06 -0400, Jock McClees wrote:
>You can get the wood from
>Exotic Lumber 1610 Whitehall Rd. 410-267-0887 or
>Aircraft Spruce 877-477-7823 - ordered from them
>Ask for spar grade or aircraft grade spruce
>If you use another wood, make sure the grain is running in line with the
>spreader and not at an angle.


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